Jules's exit after 14 years isn't a tragedy – it feels like the heyday of his high-octane trance sound was half a decade ago. Although Pete Tong clings on to Friday nights at Radio 1, peers such as Seb Fontaine, Danny Rampling and Dave Pearce are long gone, and the Judge has increasingly looked as though he is holding court alone.

But Gilles Peterson's departure after 13 years is worse news for Radio 1. His eclectic jazzy sound is unique – he plays music you're unlikely to hear elsewhere. Listeners can find Jules's "tried and tested" tracks all over the web, but Peterson's selections are harder to replicate.

Some may find Peterson's tunes noodly and his presenting style a bit affected, but the energy he puts into "joining the dots" between different genres of music is infectious. It's not unusual to hear cutting-edge dubstep followed by 1960s British jazz followed by Afro-funk or Latin sounds.

Some have hailed Peterson as a successor to John Peel – not strictly accurate in that most of the music he plays is influenced by jazz or soul, but it's true that he's not afraid to pick tunes from any genre and put them in front of a mainstream audience.

Ironically, it's the Peterson-backed Skream and Benga who are joining Radio 1 as he departs. The station is under pressure to attract younger listeners; it feels a bit like a trendy dad, desperately trying to keep up with the latest musical fashion, but always getting there a few years too late. Peterson has years of experience as a DJ – he started doing radio in his dad's shed in Epsom while at school – and brings boundless energy and knowledge to presenting. Skream and Benga are producers; they may make innovative music but that doesn't necessarily make them natural radio presenters.

Also among the new crop of DJs are Toddla T, Charlie Sloth and Friction, while drum'n'bass dons Fabio & Grooverider and electro genre-bender Kissy Sell Out are leaving. And the station is promising to promote fresh talent on a new show, Radio 1 Residency.

It's possible Peterson will find a new home at 6 Music or 1Xtra; he could even fit in at Radio 3 alongside Verity Sharp's Late Junction. But it would be a shame for his musical explorations not to continue on a high-profile station.

So do you think Radio 1 was right to drop Gilles Peterson and Judge Jules? And which specialist DJs would you like to hear on the station?